Korean YouTuber arrested in Philippines for child abuse

A Korean YouTuber who operated a study room for underprivileged children in the Philippines has been arrested for allegedly impregnating a local middle school student while soliciting donations from Korean viewers.

Philippine police and local broadcaster GMA Network reported Friday that the YouTuber, identified only as “A,” was arrested on June 11 in a northern Philippine city for living with a girl believed to be of middle school age. Authorities said the girl recently gave birth to his child. He faces charges under the country’s Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act, as well as anti-human trafficking laws. He remains in police custody.

A had promoted his volunteer work through YouTube, claiming to provide study rooms for poor Filipino children and asking Korean viewers for donations. In some videos, he said donations had exceeded 10 million won (about $7,200). However, suspicions arose after viewers noticed his prolonged cohabitation with the underage girl, prompting a full police investigation.

The Philippine authorities launched the probe after spotting frequent appearances of minors in A’s videos during cyber patrols. In response to widespread child sexual abuse, the Philippines raised the age of sexual consent from 12 to 16 in 2022 and has since tightened related laws.

Experts warn of a pattern of sexual crimes by Korean men targeting children in vulnerable countries. In May 2023, a Korean man in his 20s was arrested in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, for attempting to pay a 15-year-old girl 70,000 won (about $50) for sex.

“These crimes exploit the vulnerability of children in impoverished countries,” said Heo Min-sook, a legislative researcher at South Korea’s National Assembly Research Service. “There is a need to strengthen international cooperation and bolster law enforcement to crack down on Korean nationals committing sexual crimes overseas.”

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ 2024 report on crimes by overseas Koreans, 3,255 Koreans were involved in criminal cases abroad last year. Of these, 2,519 cases, or 77.4 percent, occurred in the Asia-Pacific region, including the Philippines.


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